Delahaye to Volvo viâ Stearns-Knight: the many motors of Holland's H.A.M.

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The Haagsche Automobiel Maatschappij (H.A.M.), or Automobile Society of The Hague, was a major Dutch importer and dealer, selling motor cars from as early as 1901. They had become Delahaye’s Dutch concessionaires that year, which made sense if only for the fact that Delahaye translates as "From The Hague." But the H.A.M. branched out in the years to come, soon also selling Brennabor, Vauxhall, Winton, Stearns-Knight and Armstrong-Siddeley cars. Even more were to follow.

By 1911, the company had opened new premises, which were beautifully purpose-made and contained eighteen so-called garage boxes behind the lovely Art Déco façade, and that’s what we see here: "The garage boxes behind the Van Beverningkstraat with motor cars and their chauffeurs." We wonder if any of you recognise the cars. Are the marques represented the H.A.M. among them?

The historic building remains standing today with the protection of municipal monument status, but the company itself is long gone. After Delahaye imports stopped in 1929 things went slowly downhill, it seems. By the mid-1930s, the only motor manufacturer represented by the H.A.M. was Hupmobile, which had plenty of difficulties of its own and went out of business in 1939. Volvo came next, but the Swedish car-maker was not then the big success it would later become. By 1954, the Haagse Automobiel Maatschappij’ had been dissolved, with only the lovely site remaining for us to remember it by.

Words: Jeroen Booij
Picture: Stichting Haags Industrieel Erfgoed

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